Plex VR Gets Cross-Platform Watch Together, Virtual Surround Sound

Plex VR's Watch Together mode is getting cross-platform support, as well as virtual surround sound, though both of these features are only available to Plex Pass subscribers. The two features are exactly what they sound like. You can now watch Plex content together with friends in VR no matter what gear they own, so long as it's compatible with Plex VR, and when you're watching that content in Plex VR, the system will generate spatial audio data to emulate a surround sound system being in the room that you're watching in, then tweak the audio coming through your headphones to make the sound richer, fuller and more spatially accurate, making for an even more convincing VR experience.

While Watch Together and the new virtual surround sound are only available to subscribers, those who don't shell out can still enjoy Plex VR on more platforms now, with compatibility for Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR having been added to the app along with Google Daydream. These platforms do allow you to mess around in VR using the hand controllers, but they don't feature positional tracking, so once your avatar is placed on the virtual couch or in the virtual car, there's no way to change the sound profile for your experience. Spatial audio emulation was not specifically stated to affect voice chat among you and your friends' avatars, so it is likely safe to assume that chatting will be the same as it was.

As of now, Plex VR is available to just about anybody with a modern Android handset, and those with access to a platform that supports a hand controller with motion tracking can even take advantage of perks like messing with objects in the VR environment and interacting with friends in Watch Together. While these more advanced features are designed for Plex Pass members, Plex does offer interested users a week's worth of Watch Together access to test out the service. Which should be plenty of time to figure out if the service is right for you and whether it is worth investing in a Plex Pass to gain unlimited access to Watch Together, virtual surround sound, and the rest of the Plex Pass benefits.

Daniel has been writing for Android Headlines since 2015, and is one of the site's Senior Staff Writers. He's been living the Android life since 2010, and has been interested in technology of all sorts since childhood. His personal, educational and professional backgrounds in computer science, gaming, literature, and music leave him uniquely equipped to handle a wide range of news topics for the site. These include the likes of machine learning, voice assistants, AI technology development, and hot gaming news in the Android world. Contact him at [email protected]